Chapter 23 Stephen Webb Is Puzzled

 "Will you have a morning paper?" asked Luke.

 

He wanted to have a few words with Mr. Browning, even upon an indifferent subject, as he now thought it probable that this was the man who had defrauded¹ his mother and himself.

 

Browning, too, on his part, wished for an opportunity to speak with the son of the man he had so shamefully² swindled.

 

"Yes," he said, abruptly³, "you may give me the _Times._"

 

When the paper had been paid for, he said:

 

"Do you make a good living at selling papers?"

 

"It gives me about seventy-five cents a day," answered Luke.

 

"You can live on that, I suppose?"

 

"I have a mother to support."

 

"That makes a difference. Why do you stay in Chicago? You could make a better living farther West."

 

"In California?" asked Luke, looking intently at Browning.

 

Thomas Browning started.

 

"What put California into your head?" he asked.

 

"My father died in California."

 

"A good reason for your not going there."

 

"I thought you might be able to tell me something about California," continued Luke.

 

"Why should I?"

 

"I thought perhaps you had been there."

 

"You are right," said Browning, after a pause. "I made a brief trip to San Francisco at one time. It was on a slight matter of business. But I don't know much about the interior and can't give you advice."

 

"I wonder if this is true," thought Luke. "He admits having been to California, but says he has never been in the interior. If that is the case, he can't have met my father."

 

"I may at some time have it in my power to find you a place farther West, but not in California," resumed Browning. "I will take it into consideration. I frequently come to Chicago, and I presume you are to be found here."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

Thomas Browning waved his hand by way of good-by, and continued on his way.

 

"The boy seems sharp," he said to himself. "If he had the slightest hint of my connection with his father's money, he looks as if he would follow it up. Luckily there is no witness and no evidence. No one can prove that I received the money."

 

At the corner of Adams Street Mr. Browning encountered his nephew, Stephen Webb, who was gazing in at a window with a cigar in his mouth, looking the very image of independent leisure.

 

"You are profitably employed," said Browning, dryly.

 

Stephen Webb wheeled round quickly.

 

"Glad to see you, Uncle Thomas," he said, effusively⁴. "I suppose you received my letter?"

 

"Yes."

 

"I hope you are satisfied. I had hard work to find out about the boy."

 

"Humph! I don't see how there could be anything difficult about it. I hope you didn't mention my name?"

 

"No. I suppose you are interested in the boy," said Stephen, with a look of curious inquiry⁵.

 

"Yes; I always feel interested in the poor, and those who require assistance."

 

"I am glad of that, uncle, for you have a poor nephew."

 

"And a lazy one," said Browning, sharply. "Where would I be if I had been as indolent as you?"

 

"I am sure I am willing to do whatever you require, Uncle Thomas. Have you any instructions?"

 

"Well, not just now, except to let me know all you can learn about the newsboy. Has he any other source of income except selling papers?"

 

"I believe he does a few odd jobs now and then, but I don't suppose he earns much outside."

 

"I was talking with him this morning."

 

"You were!" ejaculated Stephen in a tone of curiosity. "Did you tell him you felt an interest in him?"

 

"No, and I don't want you to tell him so. I suggested that he could make a better income by leaving Chicago, and going farther West."

 

"I think I might like to do that, Uncle Thomas."

 

"Then why don't you?"

 

"I can't go without money."

 

"You could take up a quarter-section of land and start in as a farmer. I could give you a lift that way if I thought you were in earnest."

 

"I don't think I should succeed as a farmer," said Stephen, with a grimace⁶.

 

"Too hard work, eh?"

 

"I am willing to work hard, but that isn't in my line."

 

"Well, let that go. You asked if I had any instructions. Find opportunities of talking with the boy, and speak in favor of going West."

 

"I will. Is there anything more?"

 

"No. I believe not."

 

"You couldn't let me have a couple of dollars extra, could you, uncle?"

 

"Why should I?"

 

"I--I felt sick last week, and had to call in a doctor, and then get some medicine."

 

"There's one dollar! Don't ask me for any more extras."

 

"He's awfully⁷ close-fisted," grumbled⁸ Stephen.

 

"I am afraid King might visit Chicago, and find out the boy," said Browning to himself as he continued his walk. "That would never do, for he is a sharp fellow, and would put the boy on my track if he saw any money in it. My best course is to get this Luke out of Chicago, if I can."

 

Stephen Webb made it in his way to fall in with Luke when he was selling afternoon papers.

 

"This is rather a slow way of making a fortune, isn't it, Luke?" he asked.

 

"Yes; I have no thoughts of making a fortune at the newspaper business."

 

"Do you always expect to remain in it?" continued Webb.

 

"Well, no," answered Luke, with a smile. "If I live to be fifty or sixty I think I should find it rather tiresome⁹."

 

"You are right there."

 

"But I don't see any way of getting out of it just yet. There may be an opening for me by and by."

 

"The chances for a young fellow in Chicago are not very good. Here am I twenty-five years old and with no prospects¹⁰ to speak of."

 

"A good many people seem to make good livings, and many grow rich, in Chicago."

 

"Yes, if you've got money you can make money. Did you ever think of going West?"

 

Luke looked a little surprised.

 

"A gentleman was speaking to me on that subject this morning," he said.

 

"What did he say to you?" asked Stephen, curiously¹¹.

 

"He recommended me to go West, but did not seem to approve of California."

 

"Why not. Had he ever been there?"

 

"He said he had visited San Francisco, but had never been in the interior."

 

"What a whopper that was!" thought Stephen Webb. "Why should Uncle Thomas say that?"

 

"What sort of a looking man was he? Had you ever seen him before?" he inquired.

 

"He is a peculiar-looking man--has a wart¹² on his right cheek."

 

"Did he mention the particular part of the West?"

 

"No; he said he would look out for a chance for me."

 

"It is curious Uncle Thomas feels such an interest in that boy," Webb said to himself, meditatively¹³. 

1 defrauded   

v.诈取，骗取( defraud的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He defrauded his employers of thousands of dollars. 他诈取了他的雇主一大笔钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He defrauded them of their money. 他骗走了他们的钱。 来自辞典例句

2 shamefully   

可耻地； 丢脸地； 不体面地； 羞耻地

参考例句：

• He misused his dog shamefully. 他可耻地虐待自己的狗。
• They have served me shamefully for a long time. 长期以来，他们待我很坏。

3 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

4 effusively   

adv.变溢地，热情洋溢地

参考例句：

• We were effusively welcomed by the patron and his wife. 我们受到老板和他妻子的热忱欢迎。 来自辞典例句
• The critics praised her effusively. 评论家们热情洋溢地表扬了她。 来自互联网

5 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

6 grimace   

v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭

参考例句：

• The boy stole a look at his father with grimace.那男孩扮着鬼脸偷看了他父亲一眼。
• Thomas made a grimace after he had tasted the wine.托马斯尝了那葡萄酒后做了个鬼脸。

7 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

8 grumbled   

抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声

参考例句：

• He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
• The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。

9 tiresome   

adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的

参考例句：

• His doubts and hesitations were tiresome.他的疑惑和犹豫令人厌烦。
• He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors.他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。

10 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

11 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

12 wart   

n.疣，肉赘；瑕疵

参考例句：

• What does the medicaments with remedial acuteness wet best wart have?治疗尖锐湿疣最好的药物有什么？
• Flat wart is generally superficial,or sometimes a slight itching.扁平疣一般是不痛不痒的，或偶有轻微痒感。

13 meditatively   

adv.冥想地

参考例句：

• The old man looked meditatively at the darts board. 老头儿沉思不语，看着那投镖板。 来自英汉文学
• "Well,'said the foreman, scratching his ear meditatively, "we do need a stitcher. “这--"工头沉思地搔了搔耳朵。 "我们确实需要一个缝纫工。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹